An Education

I saw An Education over the weekend. I was interested in it because it is getting a lot of Oscar buzz, particularly for the Best Picture and Best Actress (Carey Mulligan) categories. The movie is set in 1960s London. Jenny, 16-year old in her last year of school, meets an older man who shows her how exciting life can be. Jenny has to choose between the seemingly boring life of education at Oxford or the glamorous but mysterious life with her new beau. What will she choose??? (Hint: this movie follows the traditional Hollywood formula)

An Education is a good movie, but certainly not the best that this year has to offer. Carey Mulligan was flawless, the story moved at a good pace, and I felt invested in the characters. However, the movie was too forgettable to win a major award. I felt like I have seen this movie a hundred times. A brilliant student / athlete / musician must choose between the long, hard road of school or the short-cut to a high-paying, glamourous life. Its a fine story, but An Education did not do anything original with the story.

The best part of the movie was Alfred Molina. He was a delight as Jenny's father. It was nice to see him shine in a supporting role and move beyond his Doctor Octopus role from Spider Man2. Have you seen An Education? Are you planning to?

Fantastic Mr. Fox

I saw Fantastic Mr. Fox over Thanksgiving weekend, and quite frankly, it was fantastic. It was much better than this year's overrated Up. The movie stood out to me for three reasons:

1.The personal connection. I love Bill Murray and Wes Anderson, so I was looking forward to this movie for quite some time. In fact, Bill Murray is one of my favorite actors of all time (I love love love What About Bob?) But things get a little weird from there. Bill Murray plays a badger in the movie who is a lawyer. I am a badger (UW alum!) and a lawyer. Not only is Bill a badger lawyer, he is a badger real estate lawyer. I am a real estate lawyer!

But the strangest fact of all is that previously unbeknownst to me, I have owned a Fantastic Mr. Fox t-shirt for about 5 years. I found it in the 50 cent section of Urban Outfitters while in college. It has a cartoon fox on it and the words "I'm fantastic!" I wear it about once a month when I am feeling particularly cocky. All these years, I never knew that my shirt was referencing the Fantastic Mr. Fox book by Roald Dahl. I may have never made the connection if it wasn't for my husband. Right before I was going to leave the house to see the movie, Erik asked if I was going to wear my I'm Fantastic shirt. I had one of those rare "Aha" moments and I felt like my whole life was leading up to the movie. It was a strange feeling indeed.

2. The animation. This movie uses the old fashion technique of stop motion - you know, the technique used in the 1930s classic King Kong. Last night I was watching Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and then Santa Claus is Coming to Town on TV, and I realized just how truly special Wes Anderson's film is. The detail in Fox is impeccable. Every outfit is tailored and every detail artfully chosen. But in the Christmas classics, the details just aren't there. The dolls clothes are sloppy and the backgrounds have almost no detail whatsoever. It makes you appreciate how much time he must have put into the making of this film.

3. The cussing. Yes, cussing. The animals swear constantly in the film! At least once a minute. But instead of actually saying the F word, the animals say "cuss" instead. For example, Mr. Fox would say "Clustercuss" or "Let's cuss with his head." What a hilarious and ingenious way of inserting cuss words in a children's movie.

Have you seen Fantastic Mr. Fox? Did you think it was the best movie ever?

Remakes

I heard a rumor that The Third Man is being remade with Leonardo DeCaprio. Roger Ebert wrote that he wanted to throw up when he heard the news. I myself am indifferent, feeling no particular sentiment towards the original. Don't get me wrong; The Third Man is a good film - a very good film. It has a terrific score that I won't soon forget, a memorable performance by Orson Welles, terrific shots of the city of Vienna, and the main character is a man named Holly (!). But the pace is too slow and it lacks the suspense that Orson Welles' other classics embrace. But just to give you an idea of how revered this film is in the movie world, check out this article from the Pioneer Press, which describes the various The Third Man tours available in Vienna.


The bigger topic here is remakes. Over the last 5 years, Hollywood has exploded with remakes. A couple of years ago, I felt that every movie made was a remake. Some examples that come immediately to mind: 3:10 to Yuma, Alfie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlotte's Web, Guess Who, King Kong, The Manchurian Candidate, Ocean's 11, The Producers, Posiedan, and so forth (I didn't even touch on horror movies which seem to be exclusively remakes these days).

I have mixed feelings about remakes. On the one hand, I revile them. First, many people go to movies not realizing the movie is a remake. Some of these remakes are so bad, it may discourage audiences from wactching the original film. The remake Guess Who and its original Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? are a good example. Second, far from being an homage to the original, many new versions are an insult to the halmarks of cinema. Again, Guess Who is an apt example. This is probably why Roger Ebert wanted to throw up when he heard about The Third Man.

But on the other hand, some remakes breathe new life into stories and improve on the long forgotten originals. I am thinking here of 3:10 to Yuma. Or they reimagine the characters in new and interesting ways (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

But I still have that nagging suspicioun that most remakes are simply a function of laziness. Writers can't come up with anything original so they recycle an old script, hoping audiences won't notice.

What do you think of remakes? Have you ever watched an original movie for the first time after watching the remake?

And the Oscar hosts are . . .

Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. I love them both! I can't wait to watch them host the Oscars together (there hasn't been co-hosts since the 1980s). They should make a great comedy team. Of course, I would have preferred Steve Martin with Tina Fey but Tina is not starring in a holiday movie with Steve. So naturally, the Oscar producers had to pass her up and go for the shameless plug of Its Complicated (starring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin coming out December 25 to a theater near you).

A Serious Man

I saw A Serious Man last Friday. After seeing the movie, I stand by my prediction that it will be nominated for best picture this year.

Set in surburban Minneapolis in the 1960s, the movie follows Larry Gopnik, a physics professor, who is going through a bad spell in his life. His wife wants a divorce, someone is writing nasty letters to the tenure board, a korean student is trying to blackmail him for giving him an F, his brother won't leave his couch, and creditors are calling him for not paying for his record club subscription that he never even ordered. Larry hits rock bottom when his wife demands that he pay for the funeral for the man she was going to leave him for. With no where left to go, Larry turns to three different rabbis at his synogogue in order to determine what God is telling him.

Richly textual, the movie makes no apologies for being smart. I will be the first to admit that I didn't catch most of the biblical allusions or understand many of the Jewish phrases. (But I certainly understood the Minnesota references! The theater audience chuckled everytime a Twin Cities reference was made - such as to Ron Meshbesher or the Red Owl in Bloomington). But I don't care. Movies with layers of subtexts are the best kind to go back and watch again as you age, and gain wisdom and experience. This is the type of movie that you will take away a different interpretation with each viewing.

Many people will find this movie difficult to watch. It is slow, seems to have no point, and has an unconclusive ending (which may be an understatement). But I like movies that are more interested in the characters than in their stories. The Coen brothers drew heavily from the European New Wave traditions in this respect. Within the movie itself is a parable about a Jewish dentist who finds a message in Hebrew on the back of a patient's teeth. Wondering if this is a message from God, he visit his rabbi. The \rabbi, to the unsatisfaction of the Dentist, cannot tell him that the message means anything. It is what it is. And I think this parable is an allegory to the movie as a whole. The movie is not a story meant to give us a definitive message. Rather, it a snapshot of a character, meant to make us ponder.

A Serious Man is not the best movie I have seen this year, but it very good. Overall, I give it 3 1/2 stars and recommend that you see in theatres (rather than video).

Have you seen A Serious Man or are you planning on going? Are there any movies that you find different meanings in with each viewing? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Paranomal Activity

My uncle posted this interesting news item on facebook which I want to pass along:
http://movies.yahoo.com/news/usmovies.accesshollywood.com/paranormal-activity-becomes-most-profitable-movie-ever

Paranomal Activity is now the most profitable movie ever made. The article reports that the movie was made for less than $15,000 and has grossed over $65.1 million.

What I found most interesting is that Paramount studios has spent "only" $10 million to market the movie. It is unsettling to think that $10 million in advertising is a drop in the bucket. I wonder how many movies I've seen soley because of the advertising?

Attack of

In honor of Halloween, I thought I would take this time to pay homage to my favorite movies: B-movies--particularly B-horror movies. B-horror movies from the 1950s and 1960s are pure camp. The acting, the dialog, and special effects are always abominable. The plot is always some variation of people getting stuck in a remote location with a mad-scientist. But for me, there is nothing better then curling up with my popcorn cart (!), a blanket, and a stack of B-movies.

Here are some of my favorites:

The Manster

"When a reporter (Peter Dyneley) is injected with an experimental serum by a crazed Japanese scientist (Tetsu Nakamura), he sprouts a second head and begins terrorizing the streets of Tokyo. Can the police -- or the mad scientist -- stop him before it's too late? Or has an irreversible new phase in human evolution begun? Directed by George Breakston and Kenneth G. Crane, this campy horror flick also stars Jane Hylton and Jerry Ito." - Netflix

Best scene: a three-way tie between the geisha party, when the eye sprouts on the reporter's shoulder, and the volcano scene

Bottom line: If you are only going to see one B-movie from this list, make it The Manster. He's half man, half monster!



The Attack of the Killer Shrews - also know as The Killer Shrews

"Like your horror mixed with camp? . . . Go to an isolated island where a mad scientist (Baruch Lumet) has created giant shrews with gnashing teeth -- and they're out for human blood." - Netflix

Best scene: when you get your first good look at the "Killer Shrews" and realize they are just dogs in costumes

Bottom line: This is the quintessential "Attack of" movie.



The Terror

"Lt. Andre Duvalier (played by a very young Jack Nicholson) is an officer in Napoleon's army. When he pursues a mysterious woman into the castle of an elderly baron (Boris Karloff), he uncovers a bizarre plot: A witch (Dorothy Neumann) is planning to drive the baron to suicide. Duvalier soon finds himself in a world of supernatural treachery where nothing is what it seems in this thriller shot in just three days by B movie king Roger Corman." - Netflix

Good to know: Francis Ford Coppola shot the second unit footage of this movie. Is there anyone in Hollywood who didn't get there start with Roger Corman?

Bottom line: The king of B-movies - Roger Corman - pairs up with Jack Nicholson for some delightful camp!



Attack of the Puppet People

"Deranged puppet maker Franz (John Hoyt) is terrified of being abandoned, so he invents a machine to shrink humans down to doll size. By kidnapping people and turning the machine on them, he soon gathers a troupe of shrunken prisoners to keep him company. But when he shrinks his lovely secretary (June Kenney) and her fiancé (John Agar), they're determined to find a way to stop the crazy puppeteerb." - Netflix

Best scene: the "scientific"explanation of how the puppet maker is able to shrink people

Bottom line: A man shrinks people into puppets - what more do you need to see this movie?


Many of these movies were featured on the popular show Mystery Science Theater 3000. They are also widely available on Netflix or at Half Price Books. Happy Halloween!

Oscar Nomination Predictions

Here are my predictions for the 2009 Oscar nominations that will be announced in January. Note that I have seen only one of the films listed here (UP) so this is based on pure buzz. There could be a lot of potential to make fun of me come January! But for those of you looking for some good flicks, most of these will be released in theatres during the next 2 months.

Best Picture
1. The Hurt Locker
2. Up in the Air
3. Nine
4. Inviotus
5. Precious
6. Up
7. An Education
8. A Serious Man
9. Bright Star
10. A Prophet

Other Contenders:
Where the Wild Things Are
The Informant
Star Trek
Inglorious Basterds
A Single Man


Best Actor
1. Jeremy Renner - The Hurt Locker
2. Colin Firth - A Single Man
3. George Clooney - Up in the Air
4. Matt Damon - The Informant
5. Morgan Freeman - Inviotus

Other Contenders:
Nicolas Cage (Honestly!) - Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
Christopher Plummer - The Last Station
Daniel Day-Lewis - Nine


Best Actress
1. Hillary Swank - Amelia
2. Marion Cotillard - Nine
3. Carey Mulligan - An Education
4. Abbie Cornish - Bright Star
5. Vera Farminga - Up in the Air

Other Contenders:
Meryl Streep - Julie & Julia
Gabby Sidibe - Precious
Helen Mirren - The Last Station


What about you? What would you like to see nominated this year? Do you try to see Oscar nominated films?

Zombieland

On Saturday, I saw Zombieland with the in-laws. In the movie, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is making his way from Texas to Ohio to find his family. His progress is severly impeded due to the fact that nearly everyone in America has turned into a human-eating zombie. Columbus has managed to survive because he follows simple rules such as "Always check the back seat," and "Do cardio" (so you can outrun zombies).

Columbus meets Tallahasee (Woody Harrelson), and they team up. Tallahassee loves to kill zombies in inventive ways. With car doors. Banjos. Hedge Trimmers. You name it. Tallahassee and Columbus meet Witichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) while searching a grocery store for twinkies. After some initial skirmishes, the four of them decide to head to Pacific Playland, a fictional amusement park in California, where rumor has it, there are no zombies.

On paper, the movie should have the perfect movie for me: comed;, stylized, gratuitous violence; and cameo by Bill Murray. But frankly, I was disappointed. It was good, but I had heard that the movie had the biggest laugh of the whole year. "The biggest laugh!" I thought. "The whole year." "How exciting!" "Even bigger than the Hangover?" "Maybe Abigail Breslin will dance with Bill Murray to Superfreak!" But alas, there was no Superfreak. The big moment turned out to be something that my sister had already told me about. So I probably ruined it for myself by knowing too much about the movie beforehand.

But that is not the only reason I was disappointed. I found the ending unsatisfying. The group of misfits had found a family in this zombie land: each other. Aww how cute. But hadn't they all been friends for the majority of the movie? Was there ever any doubt?

I also found the line "It's time to nut up or shut up!" distracting. This line was the catch phrase of Tallahassee and repeated throughout the movie. But every time we heard the line, the flow of the movie was interuppted so that Woody Harrelson could deliver another sound bite for commercials and trailers. Two years ago one of my friends tried to make the phrase "nut up" common parlance. He even made a fake wikipedia article about the origins of the phrase. It never caught on in the group, and I doubt it will catch on after Zombieland. Overall, the movie was worth seeing, but not purchase-worthy.

Real or Fake? Spot the Direct-to-DVD Imposters

This goes out to all of you who read this blog while proscrastinating at work:
http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/movieextras/top10s/real-or-fake.php

And this little gem can take up an hour of your time! Try to spot the 50 horror movies hidden in the picture:
http://www.mms.com/us/fungames/games/50darkmovies/

Favorite Movie Viewing Experience

Whether in a sold-out theater on the opening day of a new summer blockbuster or crowded around a small computer in a college dorm room, I believe that movies are meant to be viewed en masse. Similar to live theater where actors depend on the audience reactions in delivering their performance, I depend on my fellow viewers when watching a movie. I loved when everyone broke into applause when Commissioner Gordon reappeared in The Dark Knight and I happily joined in. And I gasped with everyone else when Nemo was separated from his father in Finding Nemo. Would the quality of these movies been any less if I had seen them by myself. Certainly not. But would I have remembered seeing the movie if I hadn't seen it with a large group? No.

My all-time favorite movie experience was when I when I was taking a film class in Paris during June 2005. The syllabus was rigorous and the class met 2-3 times a day to watch movies at theaters around Paris. We saw everything from Old Hollywood Westerns to the newest French flick. After awhile, I couldn't keep track of what the next feature presentation was going to be and I would show up, take my seat, and let myself be surprised.

Most of the theaters we visited were tiny, single screen theaters. There was no concession stands (except you could always buy a coffee from the ticket seller!) and no lobbies. As my favorite food is popcorn, I begin to deeply miss the mega-plexes of the US. Finally one afternoon, I showed up at the address of the theater listed on my syllabus and I was delighted to see a giant concession stand selling Popcorn!!!! I bought the extra large size for myself, took my seat in the theater, and chomped loudly on the buttery goodness in my lap.

Unfortunately, the movie turned out to be a silent film, with a live accompanist improvising a score on a grand piano. And not just any silent film; it was Battleship Potemkin. Battleship Potemkin is a 1925 Russian film depicting the oppression of czarist Russia. In one poignant scene, civilians are massacred by the government. And here I am crunching on my popcorn. But I couldn't help it! After almost a month popcorn-free, I wasn't going to let manners prevent my indulgence!

After the movie, a French man turned around and ranted at me about my noisy chewing. I asked "English?" in reply, and he stomped off in a huff. I understood him just fine, and so did my professor and classmates. We burst out laughing and finished off my popcorn together. It was a great ending to a great movie!

I want to hear about your favorite movie viewing experience. What memory stands out in your mind?

By the way, MPR recently did an hour-long program on this very subject. To listen, you can download the podcast here: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/09/25/midmorning2/

Summer Movie Wrap-Up

Now that summer is officially over, I will take the opportunity to look back at the movies I saw. Unfortunately, because I was studying for the bar exam and unemployed, I missed out on a lot of summer flicks.

Best Summer Blockbuster

Star Trek - What a delightful surprise this was! It was full of action, adventure, cameos, and zippy one-liners - everything that a summer blockbuster requires. This movie starts from the very beginning of the Star Trek story, making this saga accessible to a new generation of viewers.

Biggest Disappointment

Up - I think this movie was technically perfect and the characters intriguing and well-developed. However, I thought the talking dogs were cheesy and a cheap laugh (In the movie, an old man lives in a blimp with dozens of dogs. The old man invented a talking collar so that his pets can talk to him). I also found it creepy that the old man lived with so many dogs. I must be the only person in the planet who didn't leave the movie with a big smile on my face, but I just couldn't get past the creepy dogs. After hearing that this was the best Pixar movie yet, I couldn't have been more disappointed.

Biggest Surprise

The Hangover - Hilarious! The story follows a bachelor party in Las Vegas gone awry. I wasn't familiar with any of the actors so I wasn't expecting very much, but it was a riot from start to finish.

Guilty Pleasure

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra - I watched this on a rainy afternoon in Madison just to kill some time. For those of you who remember the t.v. show or original animated movie, this movie is everything you could want in a G.I. Joe Flick. Terrible Acting. Cheesy Dialog. Far-fetched Plot. Sub par special effects. A random character screaming out "Go Joe!" Enough said.

Best Movie of the Summer

Inglorious Basterds - Quentin Tarantino's latest film does not disappoint. This movie was as suspenseful as any Alfred Hitchcock film, although slightly more bloody! Although I always enjoy looking at Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz playing Col. Hans Landa, a Nazi, stole every scene. I wouldn't be surprised if he is nominated for an Oscar. For those of you who listen to podcasts, I recommend listening to this interview Quentin did on NPR for some insight to the movie. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112286584

What about you? What movie will you remember most from this summer?

3-D Follow Up

I couldn't resist following up my previous post after I read Roger Ebert's review of "The Hole" at the Toronto International Film Festival. It sums up my views exactly!

"The Hole." Now forgive me if I bring up once again the tiresome subject of 3-D. Of the content of Joe Dante's new horror film I will write nothing until it opens. Of the choice to use 3-D, you can't stop me. The 3-D process in this film is the best I've seen in live action, and that includes the preview footage of "Avatar." It's technically impeccable. It makes no contribution to the overall experience.

Now that I've see live action 3-D done as well as it's likely to be done for some time. I realize more than ever this truth: The 2-D process creates a perfect illusion of depth. The 3-D process interferes with that achievement by adding additional information that reduces the illusion of depth, creating distinct planes within the image which our minds are forced to recognize and process. If there is a future for 3-D, and I hope there isn't, it's in animation, which isn't supposed to look real in the first place, and not in live action, where it's a distracting abomination. If you're a director with something to say, don't let your process interfere.

Is 3-D a scam?

Welcome to my innagural post! To kick things off, I am going to start with a topic that I feel very strongly about: 3-D movies. In my opinion, 3-D is a gimmick used to jack up ticket prices by $3-$8. It contributes absolutly nothing to the story or to my enjoyment of the movie. It was a gimmick when it first was used in the 1950s and it has returned as a gimmick in the 2000s.

Case in point: I recently attended a 3-D screening of Harry Potter 6 at the Great Clips Imax Theatre in Apple Valley. Tickets were $15.00 per person but fortunately, as a member of the zoo, I only had to shell out $13.00 for 2 tickets. Before the movie started, we received detailed instructions on when to put on our thick, plastic glasses and when to take them off during the movie. It turns out that some of the previews were in 3-D so I had to put on my glasses right away. I continued to keep the glasses on through the first scene of the movie. After the first scene, the screen flashed instructions to remove my 3-D glasses. I did so and kept my glasses tightly gripped in my hand, ready to thrust them back on my face at any moment for the next 3-D scene. But the opportunity never came to put the glasses back on. Only the very first 5 minute scene was in 3-D. Not even the quidditch match in the movie was 3-D. In fact, there were move previews in 3-D than the actual movie!!!

What a scam!! And from what I have heard, other peoples' experiences with 3-D has been similar. I have yet to hear of a movie where the 3-D actually contributed to the work, with the possible exception of The Final Destination 3-D (a movie which no doubt utilizes a multitude of gimmicks). Yet every weekend, more and more movies are being released in 3-D. What gives? Why take a fine film like UP and add 3-D? To jack up ticket prices.

Roger Ebert, my idol, has similar views on 3-D. To read about his thoughts yourself, visit: http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/05/up_up_and_away_in_my_beautiful.html

Here's an excerpt:

There is also the annoyance of 3D itself. It is a marketing gimmick designed (1) to justify higher ticket prices, and (2) make piracy harder. Yet as most of the world will continue to use 2D, pirated prints will remain a reality. The effect of 3D adds nothing to the viewing experience, and I have never once heard an audience member complain that a movie is not in 3D. Kids say they "like" it, but kids are inclined to say they "like" anything that is animated and that they get to see in a movie theater. It is the responsibility of parents to explain this useful truth: If it ain't broke. don't fix it. Every single frame of a 3D movie gives you something to look at that is not necessary

What movies have you seen in 3-D? Do you think it made the movie better or worse? Do you agree with Roger and Me - is 3-D a scam? I want this to be a discussion-based blog so your comments are encouraged!

The limits of contemporary animation

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion among film critics about whether we are in the golden age of animation. I don't think I would go as far as to say that we are in the golden age , but it is certainly true that contemporary animated films are pushing the boundaries of the genre.

It seems that increasingly, animated films are targeted at adults just as much as children. No longer are movies about princesses in love and their talking animal friends, but they tackle serious adult themes. The plot of last year's Wall-E, one of the best films of the year, centered consumerism and its negative effects. This year's Up featured a heart-breaking scene early in the movie of a couple's miscarriage.

But this is not all about Pixar. The movie Waltz with Bashir single handedly pushed the limits of animation more than all animated movies combined have done in the past 50 years. Waltz with Bashir is an animated documentary from Israel. Yes - an animated documentary. The movie is about the film director's efforts to reconstruct his memories of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon. He has a reoccurring dream about his role in the invasion and he doesn't know if the dream is true. To find out, he interviews several other Israeli veterans. Every veteran's story is incomplete, and the gaps have been filled in with their own dreams. What works so well in this film is these very dream sequences. The animation really allow the viewers to gain a deeper understanding of the veteran's visions. Dream sequences in live action just cannot have the same affect.

Techniques in animation have become more advanced as well. Pixar has mastered CGI animation, many studios are experimenting with 3-D, and other studios are revisiting the wonders of hand-drawn animation (this year's Ponyo comes to mind). Persepolis - an biographical story of growing up in Iran in the 1970s and 80s, uses black and white and 2-D animation to great effect.

These are just a few examples of how contemporary films are pushing the boundaries of animation. I encourage everyone to explore some of these films and others! Let me know if you have suggestions on what I should watch next.